International Business Machines Corporation $IBM Shares Purchased by Welch & Forbes LLC

Welch & Forbes LLC raised its stake in shares of International Business Machines Corporation (NYSE:IBM) by 30.4% during the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 69,666 shares of the technology company’s stock after acquiring an additional 16,221 shares during the quarter. Welch & Forbes LLC’s holdings in International Business Machines were worth $19,591,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Basepoint Wealth LLC bought a new position in shares of International Business Machines during the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Portus Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in International Business Machines in the first quarter valued at about $26,000. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC bought a new stake in International Business Machines in the fourth quarter valued at about $28,000. SWAN Capital LLC acquired a new stake in International Business Machines during the third quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Finally, Bare Financial Services Inc raised its stake in International Business Machines by 114.6% during the second quarter. Bare Financial Services Inc now owns 103 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 55 shares in the last quarter. 58.96% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

International Business Machines Stock Performance

Shares of IBM stock opened at $235.78 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $222.14 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.92, a PEG ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 0.70. The business has a 50 day moving average of $244.57 and a two-hundred day moving average of $248.65. International Business Machines Corporation has a 52 week low of $199.19 and a 52 week high of $332.46. The company has a quick ratio of 0.74, a current ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.63.

International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 22nd. The technology company reported $2.93 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.93. The business had revenue of $17.16 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $17.46 billion. International Business Machines had a return on equity of 35.65% and a net margin of 15.52%.The business’s quarterly revenue was up 1.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $2.80 EPS. As a group, analysts anticipate that International Business Machines Corporation will post 12.33 EPS for the current year.

International Business Machines Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 10th. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 10th will be given a $1.69 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, August 10th. This represents a $6.76 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.9%. International Business Machines’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 59.98%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other International Business Machines news, SVP Robert David Thomas sold 25,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $230.32, for a total value of $5,758,000.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 47,800 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,009,296. This trade represents a 34.34% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 0.27% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

International Business Machines News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting International Business Machines this week:

• Positive Sentiment: IBM’s reported dual-architecture 2-nanometer mainframe processor, designed to run IBM and Arm workloads on the same core, strengthens its infrastructure strategy and could broaden demand among enterprise customers. The company also advanced modular cryogenic quantum systems and applied AI experiences, reinforcing its effort to connect mainframe, AI and quantum technologies. Is IBM’s Dual-Architecture 2nm Mainframe Reshaping The Investment Case for IBM?
• Positive Sentiment: Quantum computing’s potential to undermine current encryption is expected to drive post-quantum cybersecurity spending through 2030. IBM is identified as one of the companies positioned to benefit from that long-term demand. Quantum Computing Is Raising the Stakes for Cybersecurity: 5 Stocks to Watch
• Positive Sentiment: Recent commentary remains constructive on IBM’s valuation and income profile, suggesting investors may be willing to hold the stock while waiting for stronger growth from AI and infrastructure investments. IBM: Get Paid To Wait For Growth
• Neutral Sentiment: IBM’s US Open fan activations and sports-focused AI research increase visibility for its AI and cloud capabilities, but the marketing initiatives are unlikely to materially change near-term financial results. IBM Brings AI-Powered US Open Fan Experience Back to Madison Square Park
• Negative Sentiment: A securities law firm announced an investigation into whether IBM may have misled investors following a significant stock decline. The notice is an investor solicitation and provides no established finding of misconduct, but it adds legal and reputational uncertainty. Investor Notice: IBM Investigated for Potentially Misleading Investors
• Negative Sentiment: IBM’s latest quarterly revenue came in below analysts’ expectations, tempering enthusiasm around its growth outlook even though earnings per share matched consensus. This keeps execution and monetization of its AI initiatives as key investor concerns.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have recently commented on IBM. Needham & Company LLC began coverage on International Business Machines in a research report on Wednesday, June 3rd. They issued a “buy” rating for the company. Susquehanna dropped their price target on International Business Machines from $303.00 to $225.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, July 24th. Oppenheimer cut International Business Machines from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 15th. Wedbush set a $350.00 price objective on shares of International Business Machines in a report on Tuesday, June 2nd. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus lowered their target price on shares of International Business Machines from $290.00 to $235.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, July 20th. Sixteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $265.40.

About International Business Machines

International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) is a global technology and consulting company headquartered in Armonk, New York. Founded in 1911 as the Computing-Tabulating-Recording Company (CTR) and renamed IBM in 1924, the company has evolved from early electromechanical machines to a diversified technology provider serving enterprises and governments worldwide. IBM is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol IBM.

IBM’s principal businesses encompass cloud computing and software, infrastructure and systems, consulting and technology services, and research and development.